Chapter 17: The Problem with Hellman
Review Replies
Sci-Fi FREAK: I'm curious about what's going to be next for Shredder and the daughter of Cthulhu.
ThermalsniperN7: Expect both to get their own arcs.
Dragon Emperor0: After this current story arc and a six month time skip. Maybe. Still working out the timeline here.
Kaiju Avenger: Thank you for explaining everything with Evelyn. Can't wait for when she and Judy will try to find V. If they find their home, I wonder if the girls will do anything to them to"prepare" them for V. Although, they would need to be easy on Evelyn, she's already been through a lot. By the way, what is Kujira's outfit?
ThermalsniperN7: If Judy and Evelyn find V's place, they'll likely find a place near it to avoid overcrowding it. Also, we'll take that part about going easy on Evelyn into account. You're right about her going through enough already.
Dragon Emperor0: Kujira's outfit is Orchid's, weren't you paying attention? Also, they'll join officially after V and the gang complete the Judy side jobs. Additionally, they will move in with them, after V finishes having renovations done to the house.
MonstrousLOVER: Ok, now Ebony needs to not only be punished and trained by V and the girls. For being so naughty, especially to the kids.
She needs to learn her place that she is only for V and her sister-wives
Dragon Emperor0: That may be the case, but is it so wrong for her to be herself around her own family and children?
ThermalsniperN7: Right. She's just being herself.
Question Dude: Not to sound rude, but I felt like you could've done better with your Fossil Fighter story. Especially with your protagonist. The one thing I was not crazy about: He is able to bring his fiancé back from the dead, the woman he loves with all his heart! But he allowed other guys, whole groups even, to mate with her?! That was all kinds of wrong, it felt like one of those awful hentai stories. Again, not to be rude. I just feel like you could've done a lot better.
Dragon Emperor0: It's been years since I've even done anything with that story. And I wrote it as a fanfic novice as well with a different co author. So in all honesty, I probably should consider rewriting it based on that alone.
ThermalsniperN7: Yeah, it's one of those "time to rewrite this now that I'm better" sorts of things.
Romance Breeding: I didn't say the lemon in the last chapter was "short". I said that it was rushed near the end. It was good, and getting a nice length, but it just felt rushed. Especially involving Raiko and her sisters. But, thank you for using my ideas for that moment. It means a lot, being heard. I just can't wait for when it's Panam, Judy, and Evelyne's turns with V.
Dragon Emperor0: I don't really see how it was rushed by, but okay. And you're welcome. Panam and Judy should be joining as soon as their side jobs are done.
ThermalsniperN7: Nice to see you eager for when it's time for Panam, Judy and Evelyn's turns with V.
Crofty666: I think it's more specific ideas that appeal to me, over anything more complicated.
Dragon Emperor0: Could've fooled us. *shrug*
ThermalsniperN7: It certainly helps.
-Sunset Motel-
V slowly wakes up as the clock strikes midnight, prompting him and Jackie to leave the room and meet up with Panam. The woman was in a nearby garage working on her Thornton when the two walked in.
"Good morning." The bruiser greeted her as they walked in.
"Hey, you two. Gimme a bit." The woman replied as she kept working.
"What are you doing?" V ahead as he leaned on the door frame.
"Checking the hydraulics and making sure they're in shape. We're in for a rough ride." Panam explained right as she finished up and emerged from under her truck. "You guys sleep alright?" She asked.
"Can't complain." The Nomad shrugged.
"Like a baby, though the bed was a little hard on my back." Jackie nodded, cracking his back slightly. "You?" He asked.
"Pretty good, for a motel at least." Panam shrugged as she got up and went over to the table off to the side. "Come here. I got a plan for how we're gonna deal with Helman." She beckoned.
"Let's hear it then." V said as he and Jackie walked over to the work station in the garage that Panam was leaning over. On it were four tools.
"Okay, the wrench is us. And the cutters are the AV." She began as she indicated the tools in question. "And this screwdriver represents where it's gonna crash." She added as she made the screwdriver go in an arc.
"And how do we make that happen?" V asked.
"This." She said as she pointed to a clamp. "An Insap Power station. We take the AV down by overloading the system and causing an EMP." She added.
"Chingado…" Jackie gasped.
"This place doesn't have any means of recording people who came by, does it?" The Nomad asked. "Remember, me and Jackie are still in the Navy. Won't exactly look good for it if the two of us were caught doing shit there." He added.
"Oh don't worry. This place is largely maintained by drones, so there's no real reason to record any live people that come by." Panam replied, assuring them that this was fine.
"Right…" V nodded as he turned to Jackie. "Well, you up for it?" He asked.
"For you, cabron? All the way." The man nodded as he pat his friend's back.
"Alright, both of you get in my ride. It's gonna be chilly out there." Panam said as she got in her Thornton.
"Can't be any colder than at sea." Jackie said as he got in the back seat.
"Junior, follow us. We're rolling out." V said to his living car as he got in the shotgun seat.
"Of course. I'll make sure my weapons are ready." The AI replied as they rode off.
(Later)
Driving along the road towards their destination, the two Nomads struck up a bit of a conversation while riding together in the pickup truck.
"So, have you ever done any jobs like this before?" V asked.
"I did back with the clan, but not on this scale." Panam replied.
"Do you miss it? Being back with the Aldecaldos?" The silver eyed man asked. His fellow Nomad companion sighed a bit.
"I do miss having people I know I can trust and confide in. It makes me feel…" She trailed off, trying to find the right word.
"Lonely?" V offered, knowing the feeling. "I get it. I thought I could trust the Bakkers, but you already know they joined up with Snake Nation. I couldn't trust them anymore after that." He continued with a sigh.
"Yeah… Lonely sounds about right." Panam sighed in agreement. There was a moment of silence before Jackie spoke up.
"Okay, new topic; what's the craziest thing you've ever transported?" He asked from the back seat. "Me and V transported a live iguana." He added.
"Seriously? A live one?" The woman asked, glancing back at him.
"Yep. Someone put him in a deep sleep and then packed him in a cooler. We decided to keep it. Best decision we ever made." V nodded with a smile as he thought about Manny.
"Cuddly little fucker's been with us ever since." Jackie added.
"Heh, nice." The woman chuckled. "Okay guys, we just need to make a stop here so I can calibrate the turret. Pull over." She continued as they did so. "V, mind jacking in?" Panam asked.
"One sec." The man said as he connected his jack. As the diagnosis began, an incompatibility risk was brought up.
"Shit, keeps giving me an error." The female Nomad cursed before turning to V. "Uh, I think your implant may have a virus, the one in the nape of your neck." She stated as Johnny appeared in the back seat next to Jackie.
"And now Panam, here's Johnny! Out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere!" The engram snapped incredulously. "Great work, V." He added sarcastically.
"Thanks." The Nomad deadpanned mentally. "I… got this… biochip that operates independently of my brain. Could be why your system flagged it. But it shouldn't harm anything." He explained.
"Fine. I trust that you won't fuck anything up." The woman shrugged as she pressed a few buttons. "Okay. Here goes nothing." She said as V was connected to the gunnery software.
"I'm connected." He reported.
"Okay, fire a burst into that junkpile ahead of us." She instructed. The man did so and caused it to blow up, which also made Jackie jump a bit and nearly choke on and spill his bottle of Nicola.
"Chingada Madre!" He exclaimed in indignation.
"Sorry, Jackie." V said apologetically.
"What he said." Panam added. "Anyway, next target. Single shot." She continued. V did so, and the target blew up immediately. "Okay, one more. Might take a bit." She instructed. The Navy man did so and peppered the target until it exploded.
"I think we're good." V noted.
"That we are." The woman nodded as her fellow Nomad disconnected from the turret controls. "That wasn't so bad." She mused as they continued driving. As they did, V decided to give his critique on the tech he just used.
"The calibration is fine, but your soft is in need of an update. The scanner and controllers are a couple of generations back at least." He noted.
"That may be the case, but the important thing is that it works now." She retorted.
"Uh huh. Speaking of, who runs this station? Gov or Corp?" He asked.
"Is there any difference?" The woman questioned.
"We just wanna know who we're about to piss off." Jackie shrugged.
"I guess we're about to find out." V shrugged. He then decided to lean out to get a better look. "Damn. Those antennas run all the way down the interstate." He noted with a whistle.
"And they're linked." Panam added. "That's to your advantage. All we gotta do is mess with the collection unit, and a chain reaction will follow. Each of those antennas will emit an EMP burst as a result." She explained. "That AV will be like a glut heading for a spider's web. We just have to fire it off at the right moment." She added.
"Then let's go get her." V nodded.
(Later)
After a bit of waiting, the truck then burst through the fence to the plant's entrance and Junior was quick to knock down any of the drones before they became a nuisance. As soon as this was handled, the group rammed into the plant and jumped out, all three going to the terminals.
"Jackie, help me out!" V barked as he worked on a terminal. The men then jacked into the terminal as they overloaded the system, and V felt the Relic send a notification in protest to the sudden jumpstart by causing the man a headache. Luckily though, it's integrity was still fine.
As they jacked into another, the Nomad got another notification, but it was fine like before. The process repeated on the last terminal as they overclocked everything. Once they were done, they got back in the truck.
"See that? It's all lit up like a Christmas tree!" She said with a grin.
"Girl, if you wanted eleven, you fuckin' got it." V chuckled.
"Fuck yeah!" She explained, grin still in place.
"Now would be a good time to go before the pulse lights us up." Jackie pointed out.
"Fuck V, warn me next time before you do stuff like that! You could've damaged the chip!" Johnny snapped in pain as he appeared before suddenly flickering away.
"Johnny? Hey, Johnny! You alright?" The man questioned. After a moment, he reappeared, looking winded.
"Whew… Fuck… I'm okay… I'm fine, just- DELTA THE FUCK OUT." He tried to shout, but was too out of breath to do so.
"Not the cleanest job, but I think it went well." Panam breathed as they drove.
"Is the detonator working?" V asked as they continued on their way.
"Yep, and the signal strength isn't dropping." The woman nodded as she checked said device's signal. "Just gotta get far enough so we don't get blasted by it, too." She added.
"Excuse me, but I'm a little concerned for my well being. My car is not protected against Electromagnetic Pulses." Junior spoke up in concern.
"Don't worry, Juns, we'll be way out of the range of the blast by then." Panam told him as they arrived at a cliffside.
"And now we wait." V said as Johnny reappeared again.
"Trashing a Corpo powerstation. Hijacking a Corpo convoy. Kidnapping a Corpo suit…" The rocker boy listed while counting on his metal fingers as V glared at him.
"Are you trying to make a point, or is this a plug for the word 'corpo'?" He questioned.
"Ya know what? You're starting to remind me of me. Fifty years back." Johnny replied. "Minus the charisma, and impressive cock." He jeered.
"Says The man who's got two failed relationships under his belt, is dead, and is on a biochip in my head." V shot back. "While I am alive, have a great career, and let's not forget about the harem and two adopted children." He added, unphased.
"Oh fuck you. That was a low blow." Johnny grunted as Panam held the detonator out to her fellow Nomad.
"Here." She said as the man took it.
"Pressing the big red button. Never thought I'd get the chance to do it on something like this." He mused with a chuckle. "How do we know when?" He asked.
"Just wait for my signal." The woman told him as they continued to wait, Jackie messaging his mother and Misty to expect a power outage in the near future due to odd weather around the plant.
As this was going on, the AV came into view. "Okay… Wait for it… Now!" Panam said as V pressed the button.
"Boom, there it is." The Nomad grinned as he pressed the button and an explosion occurred in the plant just as the AV entered the targeted spot.
"Ha ha, it's going down!" Jackie laughed as they started driving again.
"I am tracking the AV's descent. We will know where it lands as it goes." Junior stated as they sped across the landscape.
"Right on mijo!" The bruiser exclaimed as they started chasing the crashing ship. However this moment of triumph was soon cut off by two very familiar voices coming through on Panam's CB radio.
"Hey, did you catch that? Over." Mitch's voice asked over the radio.
"Yup. An unmarked AV. Alt-... Around there?" Scorpions voice replied.
"Mitch? Scorp? The hell are they doing?!" Panam wondered.
"Finishing up-... The generators. Go follow 'em. I'll catch up. A battery should sort it-" Mitch said with some interference.
"The hell do they think they're doing?! That's a Kang Tao asset they're chasing!" V exclaimed.
"Chingado! We gotta stop them! Before they get hurt!" Jackie added as they rounded a bend where they became swarmed by drones. "V, Panam! Pendejos at twelve o'clock!" He warned.
"Junior, help me out!" V ordered as he connected to the turret.
"Weapons ready." Junior said as his machine guns were deployed, having deemed the rocket launchers ill suited for dealing with these drones. The two then started firing on the autonomous units, though the Thornton's machine gun jammed up.
"Dammit! Panam, gun's jammed!" V cursed.
"I got it! Going to auto pilot mode! Junior, cover me!" Panam exclaimed as she activated her truck's autodrive mode and opened up the roof so she could fix the gun while Junior laid down cover fire.
However, as the repairs were happening, a dislodged ricochet shot out of the turret and nicked Panam's midsection, knocking her into a daze as she got back in the car. She then quickly took an air hypo to heal herself.
"Shit that hurt." She groaned.
"You okay, chica?" Jackie asked in concern.
"I'll live. Don't worry." She replied, clutching her wound. "Gun should work for the time being." She added.
"That's all we need." V nodded as he and Junior shot the drones out of the sky. He then watched as the AV descended before losing it behind a hill. "There! Behind that hill!" He exclaimed.
"If those two get hurt V, I don't—I can't—!" The woman gasped through her own tears.
"Don't worry. We'll find them." V told her as they continued driving.
(Elsewhere)
-Roma Demi-Italiana, District at Port Iris's border of New Orleans-
In an Italian Style mansion with a large gated wall around it, fountains in the yard, and various other aesthetic things. The gates also had a large gold disc on the front of it that bore the image of a blue and silver coat of arms with a blue shield that had a silver octopus on it that had an A on its head; it was clutching a sword, olive branch, spear, hammer, book, quill and a bottle.
This was the stronghold of the Antolini Crime family, and inside the grounds there happened to be a wedding of all things going on.
As this was going on, the focus soon shifted inside an office of some sort, very ornate and well decorated. Two men sat in this place, one was a middle aged man—probably in his forties—with black hair that was slicked back, handsome Italian features, and cerulean blue eyes, as well as a single tendril shaped birthmark at the nape of his neck.
He wore a crest ring with his family insignia on it set inside an aquamarine gem on his thumb and a platinum wedding band on his ring finger. He was also dressed in a very stylish suit.
This was Romulus Vito Antolini—or simply Don Romulus—head of the crime family and recently widowed husband of 'Mama' Maybelle Blanche Antolini. He sat at his desk, stroking his prized pet pure white Maine Coon cat, it's icy blue eyes watching the man across from them.
Across from him was a man about twenty or thirty years his senior, who had a receding hairline and a broom mustache. This was a family friend of Romulus's father, Vito Antolini, the former boss of the family. The man's name was Valentino Mesculi.
Currently, the men were discussing a rather… private matter.
"When my wife married me, I was the happiest I had ever been." Romulus began. "We had two sons, although they aren't particularly good at anything business wise, they still do good work." He continued. "And now she's gone." He sighed, stroking his cat's fur.
"I am truly saddened to hear that… Miss Maybelle was a truly wonderful woman." His friend said.
"Yes, well, that is why in her memory I have decided to help our friends settle any of their affairs that need… a covert touch." The Don said. "So, what brings you here today, friend?" He asked.
The man took a deep breath as he tried to compose himself. "As you know, I love America." He started.
"As do I." Romulus nodded.
"And I tried to be a good American, raise my daughter the American way… But she grew up, found a boyfriend. Stayed up late." Valentino continued.
"As children do when they get to a certain age." The man nodded.
"But we told her not to dishonor her family, these boys tried to take advantage of her by making her drink whiskey. But she kept her honor, so they beat her—like an animal!" He continued as he became more and more emotional.
Romulus straightened as he listened, he was no stranger to these sorts of accounts. But it did not lessen the impact of his friend's words.
"When I found her at the hospital, her nose was broken, and her jaw held together by wires… she was such a beautiful girl, and now, she will never be beautiful again." The man said before he started getting emotional again, prompting Thomas, Romulus's most trusted lawyer and advisor to hand him a glass of water.
"I read about this, the people responsible, they were to be sentenced to thirteen years in prison but the sentence was suspended, correct?" The Don asked.
"Yes. It was suspended that same day." The man nodded with a sigh. "When it was suspended, they smiled at me. I stood there, in the courtroom. Looking like a fool." He continued. Romulus nodded.
"Why did you not come to me first?" The Crime Lord asked.
"My wife, she feared retaliation, feared for our daughters safety, Don Antolini." Valentino replied.
"I see." The man nodded. "Well? What is it you'd like me to do?" He asked, the older man then approached him and whispered into his ear. "That is doable…" He nodded. "But I must ask, why have you not come to me anytime before this? Does our friendship matter so little anymore?" He asked, seriously.
"It is difficult to explain." He replied.
"Then let me say this, say you came to me in friendship, the scum that hurt your daughter would be suffering this very day. And if you were to make enemies—as you are an honest man—then they would become my enemies." Romulus responded. "Whether you accept this, is up to you." He added.
His friend thought for a moment, making sure to weigh this very carefully. After a moment, he returned his gaze to the crime lord.
"I accept, Don Romulus. My friend." He said. The two men got up and then approached the door as they shook hands.
"One day, I will call on you to do a service. But until that day comes, accept this as a token of our friendship." The man told him. "Now go, enjoy the festivities. It is a wedding after all." He added.
"Grazie." Valentino said as he walked out the door, leaving Romulus to turn to Thomas.
"Make sure you put good people on this, but make sure they don't go overboard." He told his lawyer. "We're not barbarians." He added as he walked out of his office to his daughter's wedding.
"And what about the hunt for the Maneater?" Thomas asked, the Crime Lord simply held up a hand.
"That time will come. But for now, family comes first." The man replied as they entered the front yard.
(Elsewhere)
Back in Port Iris, V, Jackie, Panam and Junior got themselves ready to fight. They had just used the truck's drone to scout out the address and saw several Aldecaldo bodies littering the area with Mitch being held prisoner. There was no sign of Scorpion.
"Those sons of bitches are gonna pay!" Panam growled.
"Damn right they are." V nodded as he checked his hand cannon one last time.
"Don't worry, Panam. We'll get Mitch outta there. Just wait here until that launcher is down." Jackie said reassuringly. He and V then hopped out and started walking towards the site.
"I'll take out some of the drones, but that will be the best I can do for the time being." Junior said before he fired some rockets at the drones guarding the site.
"Alright, Jackie, let's sneak up on foot and take these fuckers by surprise. I'll disable the turrets while you draw any other cover they got." The Nomad said.
"You got it." The man said as they stepped out, guns ready and got inside their Delamain companion. "Let's get these pendejos." He added.
"Junior, if you would." V prompted.
"Of course." The young AI nodded before flooring it toward the crash site. After getting close enough, the two soldiers split up to carry out their roles.
"Come and get some, Carones!" Jackie yelled as he started shooting the drones that stalked the areas, while V either rebooted their optics or short circuited them as he made his way to the control panel of the AV.
"Okay, you don't really need to be online." V muttered as he connected to the panel and shut down the launcher. "Panam, Junior, launcher's down. You're clear." He told them.
"Open the door, Mitch is probably inside!" The woman told him as she drove toward the wreck.
"On it!" The Nomad nodded as he went over to the door and pried it open just as Panam arrived. Sure enough, Mitch was inside and the pilot had him at gunpoint.
"Stay back!" The pilot ordered as V, Panam and Jackie pointed their guns at him. "Drop your weapons, or I'll shoot!"
"You shoot him, and a millisec later you're eating lead, just drop him." V warned.
"Better do what he says, cabron, he ain't playin'." Jackie added.
"Panam, just shoot 'im!" Mitch grunted.
"Shut up!" The pilot growled.
"Listen, I'm lookin' for a man in a Corpo suit. He was supposed to be in this transport. Where is he?" The Navy descendant questioned.
"I don't know! What makes you think I know?!" The man snapped.
"Do you know, or do you just not want to say?" Jackie questioned. The pilot squirmed under their gazes.
"Look, I don't know where he was taken. All I know is they put him in a car and drove off!" He explained. "Just let me get on the radio so I can get in touch with the others!" He added before Mitch elbowed him and was then shot by Panam.
"You okay, bud?" Jackie asked as he helped the Aldecaldo up.
"I'll live." Mitch grunted as he walked out and knelt next to Panam, who was sitting on a piece of the wreck.
"What about the others? Where are they?" She questioned.
"They came down on us too fast, I lost everyone…" The man told him.
"And Scorpion…?" The woman gasped. Mitch was silent as he shook his head, causing tears to escape the woman's eyes. "No…" She whispered sadly.
"Not to sound insensitive or anything, but what the hell were you guys thinking?" V questioned.
"We saw the AV and thought we could help the survivors, we had no idea that it was Kang Tao. Worst case there'd be good salvage to be had." The man sighed. "We had no idea how wrong we were." He added.
"You need anything?" The former Bakker asked.
"No. But thanks for saving my ass, V. You too, Jackie." Mitch replied.
"We're looking for the guy that was riding this AV. You know or see anything?" The bruiser asked.
"They took him in our cars with 'em." The ex-army man replied.
"Where?" V asked.
"They headed west. A small unit, your passenger's entourage, no doubt." Mitch explained.
"Must be lookin' for a way to call base." Jackie noted.
"Then let's go." Panam states.
"You should stay with Mitch, get back with the clan." The soldier told her. "This is my mess, you've already been hurt enough by it." He added.
"No way, I promised I'd help. I'm going with you." She retorted. "Besides, these assholes killed Scorpion. I refuse to let that go." She added.
"Don't argue with her, V. You'll lose." Mitch told him. He then looked at Panam. "Go. I'll call the others and we'll take care of things here." He told her.
"Go ahead and take Junior with you. His combat mode should keep you safe from any Kang Tao fuckers." The Nomad told him, tossing him Junior's keycard.
"Delamain with an Excelsior package? Heh, alright. I'll give him back to you when this is over." Mitch nodded with a smirk.
"Alright, let's get moving." Panam beckoned as she got in her Thornton with Jackie while V took Scorpion's Apollo. With that, they followed the tracks to where Helman was taken.
As they drove along, V heard Johnny appear behind him. "So, this Helman guy, whaddya think he's gonna say about our situation with the chip?" The rocker asked, sitting with his back to the soldier over the back of the bike.
"No idea. It could literally be anything." V replied.
"Well, here's hopin' it's good. If it ain't, then I'll probably be stuck in your head for life." Johnny sighed. He really didn't want that since it meant he'd never be able to get back together with Rogue.
"We'll find other ways Johnny, trust me." The man replied as they came over a hill that overlooked a gas station that was crawling with Kang Tao. "Looks like we found it." He said as he got off the bike and then used his quick hacks to make the drones either short circuit or turn on the goons.
This caused the whole place to go into disarray. Meanwhile, Jackie and Panam worked together to take out the thugs on the ground while V made his way to the roof and picked off the snipers to make his two friends' lives easier.
Dropping into the garage, the Navy sailor then deployed his mantis blades and used his movement speed to hack through every goon in his path, until he stopped in a room where an old man had been locked in.
"Easy, son. I'm unarmed." He said with raised hands.
"You own this place?" V asked.
"Yeah. I'm an arms dealer. Everything was quiet, and then these idiots showed up, locked me in here and took over the place." The man explained.
"Don't worry, we'll get 'em out of your hair." The Nomad said. "Name's V." He added as he cut the man's cuffs off.
"Well, V, I'll be sure to give you a discount on everything I got after ya clear out the station." The man nodded as he rubbed his wrists. "Name's Marvin by the way."
"Well Marvin, these guys had a man with them. You seem him?" V asked.
"Yep. I ain't blind, he's in the garage upstairs room." Marvin nodded.
"Thanks." He said as he switched to his hand cannon. "If I were you, I'd stay put for a few. Could get messy." He added.
"I plan on doing exactly that." Marvin nodded. V then made his way to the designated room upstairs and after opening the door, found the man he was looking for. He was with another Kang Tao operative, who backed away in a gesture of surrender.
"W-who are you?!" The Corpo questioned. "Who sent you? Yorinobu Arasaka?" He questioned.
"Look at the rat, all too willing to squeal, he's so scared." Johnny scoffed.
"Not a fan, I take it?" The Nomad asked.
"Well, you haven't found one in him, either." The rocker pointed out. "Poor fucker doesn't know who to be scared of more, you or Arasaka." He added.
"Nothing personal." V said as he knocked Helman out.
"I seem to recall that you were going to call Takemura once you got Hellman." The engram stated.
"Thanks for the reminder. I was just about to intentionally forget that because I'm an asshole." V stated sarcastically.
"What's got your panties in a wad?" Johnny questioned.
"The fact that you're acting like an alarm clock." The Nomad deadpanned. Before the engram could answer, he had to talk with Takemura.
"Just remember, you have Helman and that's one hell of a card." He stated.
"Takemura's been a trustworthy ally, don't be so paranoid." V said.
"Just don't let your guard down, you never know." The man said as Takemura picked up.
"Takemura, I've got Hellman." V told him.
"Alive, I hope?" He asked.
"Yeah, but he's not feeling very talkative at the moment." The Nomad nodded. "I'm bringing him to the Sunset Motel." He added.
"I will meet you there. Don't leave when until I arrive." The Japanese man told him.
"Got it." V nodded before hanging up. He then picked up his quarry and made his way out.
"Should probably take him somewhere you can talk in peace." Johnny noted.
"True." V nodded as he walked outside where Jackie and Panam were met with the Aldecaldos, Junior in tow.
"Check it out, mano! The whole gang's here!" Jackie laughed upon spotting V coming out of the building.
"I can see that." The Nomad said as he set Helman next to Scorpion's bike. Mitch then approached him.
"Here's your key and ride back." He said. "He's a real nice ride, felt kinda nice to have someone to talk to." He added.
"Yeah, he's a good kid. Part of the reason I trust him." V nodded.
"Is that him? Is that Helman?" Panam asked as she walked up to him.
"Yeah. It's him." The man nodded.
"What do you plan to do with him?" Mitch asked.
"Just ask him a few important questions." The ex-Bakker replied.
"Well, I hope you get some important answers." Panam commented. It was at this point that Saul, a man who looked eerily similar to Jason Mamoa then walked up to them.
"I hear that Mitch is alive thanks to you two." He said as he looked at V and Jackie.
"Thanks to V, Panam and Jackie. All three of them saved my ass." Mitch interjected.
"I just hope it was worth it." The man said.
"Saul, I tried to stop Scorpion and bring him back. But he wouldn't listen." Panam tried to say.
"It's true, senior, it really wasn't her fault." Jackie added. Saul was silent before he let out a sigh.
"Maybe I could help out somehow?" The dark skinned woman offered.
"No. You've helped enough." He replied dismissively.
"Sure! Just walk away like you always do, let it all be damned!" Panam snarled.
"No one's blaming anyone—yet." Saul states.
"Hey, this AV jacking was my job, my mess. Panam was just helping me. So it wasn't her fault." V stated.
"When you're an Aldecaldo you're responsible for yourself and your people. Circumstances change nothing." The man retorted. "Maybe Panam should ask herself if she's still an Aldecaldo."
This made the Nomad scoff as he folded his arms. "Ya know, another clan of Nomads asked me that exact question when I left to join the Navy. The Bakkers, and now they're the bitches of Snake Nation." He states.
"Your point?" Saul asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Maybe Panam feels displaced. She could find another clan to join." The silver eyed man stated. "Since you're intent on being an asshole." He added.
"Watch it." Saul stated before he walked up. Making Panam kick the tire of a bike.
"Damn it all." She hissed.
"Hey, don't worry. You've got a place with my people, if you want it, of course." V assured her. Panam looked at him before smiling slightly.
"Thanks." She nodded.
"Don't worry about him, he'll get over it." Mitch said. "Besides, as soon as Saul heard what had happened he made everyone follow, he was worried something would've happened to you." He added.
"Wait, Saul did all this…?" The woman trailed off in disbelief.
"You two may not see eye-to-eye at the moment, but you're still family. And Saul will do anything for family." Mitch stated.
"But, am I even part of the family anymore?" She questioned.
"You know you are. Come back to us." Her friend said. Panam could only let out a small sigh as she looked down. "I understand." Mitch said, seeing that she was in a tough spot right now.
As he walked away, Panam turned to V and Jackie. "Sorry you had to see that." She told them.
"Don't worry about it." Jackie told her.
"Just take care of yourself, alright?" V added.
"Right." Panam nodded. "And take care of Scorpion's bike, it's yours now." She added.
V then picked up Helman and chucked him in Junior's trunk before he, Jackie and the cab made their way to the Sunset Motel.
(Later)
After getting a room at the hotel, V sat in front of Helman as Jackie stood guard. He then slapped the man awake.
"Hey." He said.
"Where am I?" He asked as he looked around.
"I'd like talk about your little invention. More specifically, that biochip you made for Arasaka." V told him, ignoring his question.
"Fine, but I must ask, did Yorinobu Arasaka send you?" The man asked.
"Fat chance of that ever happening." Jackie scoffed.
"Then you have an offer for me." Anders stated. "If your boss can pay more than Kang Tao, then we can talk." He added.
"No one sent us. There's something I need your help with." V stated.
"What do you mean?" Helman questioned as Johnny appeared.
"I got Johnny Silverhand's construct in my head. Our psyches are being synchronized and I need to know how I can get us separated and the chip removed before something bad happens." The Nomad explained.
"Silverhand? That's impossible. Where did you get this biochip?" Hellman questioned.
"It's not important. I need the biochip removed from my system." The Nomad replied.
"If it were that simple, it would be out already." The blond man sighed.
"You made the thing, didn't you? What's the problem?" V asked, wondering what he was missing here.
"You slotted in a prototype of the Secure Your Soul biochip, not a standard one." He replied.
"What's so different? A different engram? Something more…" V said as Johnny sat down.
"Aware." He offered.
"Aggressive?" The soldier asked.
"It's the biochip that's unique, not Silverhand's engram." Hellman replied. "The previous version of the chip could only be used to communicate with pre-saved engrams." He added.
"Yeah, I know about that variant. It was also rare as fuck and cost a fortune." V nodded.
"This one's rarer, meant to transfer an engram into a new body." The bespectacled man explained.
"That could help in the future." Johnny remarked, remembering V's plan to get him a new body.
"Yeah, only now it seems to be syncing us up now." V stated.
"That was a failsafe program, in case the body the chip was in wasn't compatible and had to be switched." Helman explained.
"So how do we remove it?" Jackie questioned.
"I would have to see it, first." Hellman replied, causing V to sigh.
"Fine, have a look." He conceded as he gave the man access to his neuroport.
"Can't believe this guy's gonna help us." Johnny stated as Hellman then plugged into the soldier and started looking at the biochip.
"Well… This is new. It looks like…" He said to himself as he looked at the analysis. After he was finished and disconnected, he had an amazed look on his face. "Incredible…" He breathed.
"What is it?" The Nomad questioned.
"It seems that the chip has created an engram of you and slipped it into the back of its storage with Silverhand's while also making the two of you genetically similar at a neurological level." Helman explained. "Essentially, if you were to untangle yourself from the engram, remove the chip and then upload it into a new body, it would need to be an exact match of your DNA." He continued. "Additionally the two of you would be… telepathically linked, to an extent. For lack of a better term."
"So if he got a new body, we'd hear each other's thoughts regardless?" The Nomad questioned in surprise.
"So basically what's happening now, but with a long distance function. Perfect." The engram groaned, laying down on the bed.
"So he's in no real danger, if I'm understanding this correctly?" Jackie asked.
"Correct." Hellman nodded. "Is there anything unusual happening?" He then asked.
"I can see Johnny and talk to him, if that's what you mean." V replied with a shrug.
"Not talking, but I see what you mean." The blond scientist nodded. "The best thing I can suggest is going to a place where a new body with your genetic makeup could be made. One place I can think of is Sunset Industries." He added.
"Funny enough, I already had plans to make a new body for Johnny." V chuckled. "Pretty convenient. And thanks for the suggestion. I'll keep that in mind." He added with a nod.
"And in case you find someone who can help, here are the blueprints." Helman said as he gave V a shard.
"Thanks." V said as he took the shard and got up. As he opened the door, Takemura walked in. "All yours, Goro." He said as he and Jackie left.
"I'm gonna head home, mano. See ya later." The bruiser said as he made his way to his ride.
"Tell Misty I said hi." V called, getting a thumbs up from his friend as he got on his motorcycle and left the motel.
The Nomad then walked over to a bench and sat down, Johnny sitting next to him. "Alright, what's eating at your code this time?" He asked knowingly.
"I've been trying to learn how you're wired this whole time. So I can know who I'm dealing with." The rocker explained. "At first, I thought you were unlucky. But I kept watching and it finally clicked." He continued. "You're a wanderer who left his clan cuz they joined the ones that killed your old man and so he could join the Navy. And now he's got the most insane harem on the face of the Earth." He added.
"You seem to know a lot about my past." V noted.
"I've seen flashes of your past like you've seen flashes of mine." Johnny shrugged.
"And honestly? I'm not sure how I should feel, seeing your memories as my own." The soldier said. "It's honestly kinda worrisome." He added.
"Shit, if it's a two-way street, I'll have to remember everything you did with those mutant girls of yours." Johnny cursed. "I dunno about you, but having memories of someone fuckin' his harem in various ways doesn't feel right." He added with a shiver.
"Then how does it feel, living under my skin?" V questioned.
"Most things are either too big or too small. Then there's the clusterfuck that're your hormones, and the infuriating lag between sight and touch." The engram responded. "When you take a bite of pizza, for hours I won't know that you burnt the roof of your mouth." He added.
"You're still butthurt about that?" The Nomad sighed.
"Fuck yeah, I am. That sucked." The rocker retorted. "Plus, it used to take five minutes before I had a fresh cig in my hand. Now? Now I'm itching for nicotine." He added. "I'm getting used to it, but it's not easy." He sighed.
"Well, when you get a new body that'll change." V stated. "But what else is there, I know you want something, I can tell." He continued.
"I want you to help me settle my score against Arasaka. That's it." Johnny stated.
"So you wanna demolish Arasaka entirely. I wanna stay above ground and live out my life at sea. Seems like they're pretty clearly defined." V mused.
"And line up rather nicely. If you get into Mikoshi to get us separated, I can burn it to the ground. It goes up in smoke, Arasaka falls for you to pick up to turn it into something else. And we both get what we want." The rocker explained.
"Ah, the crusade. Get to Mikoshi, smash the system." The soldier deadpanned.
"Yeah. But you have to understand, V. I'm not doing this because I'm bitter, or that I'm trying to bring back an image of America gone by…" The engram said. "I've seen Corps steal people of water and land, take away their very souls. I don't just want this for me, V, I want to fight the forces of entropy. Not just for myself, but for Alt, Rogue, Murphy, Weyland, Morgan, Kerry, and all those I foolishly left behind." He sighed as he got up. "And I want to do it for you too, V. If you'll let me." He finished.
V was silent as he processed Johnny's words. If he was being honest, what he was saying made sense. When he rode with the Bakkers, he would often see farmers who were on the verge of losing their land to corps like Arasaka. It was as if greed itself was ruining the country, and the world… and V hated it, very strongly, he might add. More often than not, he'd make plans of finding the source of their monopolies, and take it from them.
He never acted on them, of course. But when it comes to things he didn't like, he could imagine.
"Yeah… Yeah, let's do it." He nodded as he got up.
"Looks like you do understand. Alright." Johnny nodded as V climbed on Scorpion's bike and rode off into the night, heading back home.
(Later)
V sighed as he parked his new bike next to Junior in the garage, and as he walked to his front door, he got a call from Captain Ishmael.
"Something you need, sir?" He asked upon answering the call.
"Just calling to remind you that your next tour will be in three months' time." The man said. "Also, the power station went down, did your home become affected?" He asked.
"From what I'm seeing… Doesn't seem like it." V replied as he looked around and, sure enough, the lights were still on. There was no way he was gonna tell his CO about his involvement in that scenario. He's taking that to his grave.
"Then, please, take care of yourself." The man said as he hung up. With that, the Nomad walked inside, and was met by his girls watching the Maneater documentary, where baby Raiko had just finished everything in Fawtick Bayou and was now finding all the landmarks.
"If a group of consenting adults wants to perform cryptic rights to shadow forth the prophecy of the great Old Ones, who am I to judge?" Trip said as baby Raiko found a Cthulhu statue.
"I still can't wrap my head around that thing being there." Raiko said as she scratched her head before noticing that V was home. She was quick to pause the show and run into her mate's arms and kiss him, her shark tail wagging happily.
The rest of the girls also joined in, allowing him to kiss them one by one, Jean and Ebony being particularly hungry for his tongue.
"God I missed you girls." He smiled as he hugged them all. "Has our pet been on her best behavior?" He asked as he rubbed Meredith's head.
"Oh she has. She's been a good girl." Kujira nodded as she smacked said pet on her ass. V smiled as he sat on the couch with them, and looked between Momo, Kujira and Jean.
"Jean, Kujira, Come give me a blowjob." He told them.
"Of course, honey." The two shark goddesses purred in unison as they took their tops off. V went and sat on the couch before bringing out his dick so they could please him.
"Ebony, where are those two kids you all adopted while I was out?" He asked as the two women started pleasing him.
"Sleeping in Jackie's old room." The petite Shadow Bull replied with a purr.
"I'll meet them in the morning." The Nomads groaned as he felt the softness of his two girl's breasts on his member. "Right now, I really just need a blow job to let out some stress…" He sighed as the two women served him while the show resumed.
"While adorable, these little guys don't exactly offer anything in terms of nutritional value." The narrator said as the Alligator plushies were shown.
"Maybe we should get plushies for the kids." Ivory mused.
"Definitely worth considering." Raiko nodded.
"Oh! That reminds me!" Ivory said suddenly as she walked away before coming back with a box. "I actually made a few calls and orders, and look." She said as she opened the box.
Inside were the same toys from the show, all repaired and made brand new, and several Maneater plushies—even Evolution ones!
"Oh, they look so cute!" Meredith squealed in delight.
"Teddy and Calypso are going to love these!" Ebony grinned happily.
"And I got plenty for our babies too." Ivory nodded as V suddenly groaned and covered Jean and Kujira's face with his spunk.
"Ah, so delicious." The atomic bull woman sighed happily as she ate her mate's seed.
"Very much." The MILF sighed in agreement as she cleaned her face. It was then that baby Raiko reached Dead Horse Lake, and became a Teen.
"The shark is now a teen. So we should expect to see much angst, ennui, and poor decision making." Trip stated.
"Remembering the taste of Dead Horse Lake's water is in the top five worst decisions I've made as a teen." Raiko commented with a shiver, discharging a bit of electricity as she did. That lake was absolutely repulsive!
"Here, let me help you forget that." V said as he and the rest of the harem gave Raiko a group kiss, all of them moaning as all their stress disappeared…
Dragon Emperor0: Now we're only one chapter away from the six month time skip… Okay guys, so here's a question, should we have V do all the really important side jobs before going to Mikoshi and getting Johnny a new body? Or should it wait until after that, so Johnny can do them himself?
ThermalsniperN7: I'm not really sure what all that's about, but it's gotta be done, I guess. Anyway, Hellman's been caught, and V's got a whole new situation with the biochip that greatly differs from the game.
Dragon Emperor0: Also before I forget, this story now has a spin off called Street Shark Love. Where V is a Street Kid and the Maneater is a bone shark named Reina Muerte. And as soon as ThermalsniperN7 gets his PC, he's going to post another spinoff called Maneater's Mate where V is a Corpo married to Meredith and the Maneater is a Shadow Shark named Mako Kisame, who is their lover and loyal pet.
ThermalsniperN7: Gotta add variety to this kind of stuff. Speaking of which, when we eventually reach Truth Quest for those two, what do you guys think should happen to Moloch? Aside from dying, of course.
Dragon Emperor0: And one last thing, if any of you are fans of RWBY, mind checking out my latest story CESN: Ragnarok? It hasn't gotten much traffic and I could really use the feedback. Anyway, see you next time.